Do Not Update To iOS 5.0.1 If You Want Untethered iOS 5 Jailbreak

Yesterday, we published a post in which we talked about a Chronic Dev Team member claiming that he had found a bug which would help in untethered jailbreak for iOS 5. Today, the same member has let jailbreaking enthusiasts know that if they wish to jailbreak their iOS device untethered, they should stay away from iOS 5.0.1.

The news comes straight from pod2g – iPhone hacker and member of the Chronic Dev Team – in the form of an update sent out from his Twitter account in which he states that people who plan on jailbreaking should stay away from iOS 5.0.1 because of the bug and the resulting exploit that was found recently will be closed in the latest version of iOS.

Note about 5.0.1 : don’t update if you plan on jbking : the bug Charlie MILLER found can simplify exploits dramatically and will be closed.

No details have been given about the bug, so all we know at this point is that it was discovered by security researcher Charlie Miller and that it can “simplify exploits” so it becomes easier to jailbreak. This bug, however, is expected to be squashed in iOS 5.0.1, which will be released in a few weeks.

On being asked if iOS 5.0.1 would ever be jailbroken, this is what pod2g had to say:

@JKurtz87 I didn’t tell 5.0.1 would never be jbken but it will certainly take more time.

@NickAnema some dev may create a package on Cydia containing the differences between 5.0 and 5.0.1.

So people who wish to update to iOS 5.0.1 because of its important improvements – like fixing the battery drain issue, fixing the iPad 2 Smart Cover issue and adding multitasking gestures to original iPad – will have to make a compromise. Either they get the untethered jailbreak, or they get better battery life.

If they do, however, decide to move to iOS 5.0.1, they will get the untethered jailbreak but will have to wait longer.

Currently, iOS 5 jailbreak is tethered so you have to be connected to a computer every time you have to reboot. The jailbreak pod2g is talking about is expected to be untethered and will work on iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

Update: Developer Zack Whitfield has informed us that pod2g’s bug, which we talked about in this post, is separate from the Charlie Miller bug that will be, according to Pod2g, patched in iOS 5.0.1. Pod2g’s bug will still be able jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 untethered, but it will take longer.

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